Over the years, a lot of things have come to define our Indian culture. Be it our food, our clothes or our music, they’ve all come to define us as a nation.
However, you’ll be surprised to know that a lot of things we’ve accepted as our own aren’t Indian in the first place. Just like these ones right here. Take a look.
1. Kites
Yes, we cannot imagine Republic Day or Makar Sankranti without kites today but they didn’t originate in India. They were invented in China.
2. Samosa
Yes, as surprising as it may sound, but one of India’s favourite snacks too has firangi origins. It originated in the Middle East and is called Samsa in Africa and Sambusa in Afghanistan.
3. Gulab Jamun
The dish might be sweet but the truth is very bitter. Yes, as much as we love it, turns out that gulab-jamun was given to us by Central Asian Turkic invaders.
4. Jalebi
We all love jalebi but alas, the truth of its origin is as twisted as the dish itself. It is said to have originated in West Asia and the name is derived from the Arabic word Zulabiya.
Oh, and just like the gulab-jamun, jalebi too was brought to India by Turkic invaders.
5. Lifebuoy
Yes, we’ve all heard that super catchy tagline ‘Lifebuoy hai jahaan, tandurusti hai wahaan’ but that tagline is the only Indian thing about the soap.
The soap was introduced by the Lever brothers in 1895 in England.
6. Bisleri
They quench the thirst of millions every day but you’ll be surprised to know that Bisleri was an Italian mineral water company founded by Signor Felice Bisleri.
7. Vim bar
It’s a detergent used by millions in India to clean their utensils but we have William Lever to thank for giving us this beautiful product. The brand is now owned by a European multi-national firm called Spotless Group.
8. Vicks
The remedy responsible for returning chain ki saans to millions suffering from common cold also happens to be a firangi gift. It’s currently owned by the American company Procter and Gamble.
9. Khichdi
As much as we loved the show of the same name, we can’t say the same for the dish. However, the next time someone serves it to you, blame the Chinese. For it was via China 2500 years ago that the dish made its way into our country.
10. Biryani
There are two things we hate regarding biryani. One is elaichi in it and the other is the fact that it’s not Indian. According to a report by News 18, many historians believe that biryani originated from Persia and was brought to India by the Mughals.
11. Colgate
It helps us clean our teeth. And we have America to thank for it for it’s exactly where the owner of the toothpaste Colgate-Palmolive is situated.
12. Horlicks
One of the most popular milk supplements, Horlicks is owned by GlaxoSmithKline which happens to be a British pharmaceutical company.
13. Flipkart
Yes, it’s true that the company was founded by two Indians named Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal but the company has been registered in Singapore.
14. Harmonium
One of the most famous musical instruments in the country, the harmonium has become an integral part of Indian music. However, it’s not a native to the country. It was brought to Indian in the mid-19th century by French missionaries.
15. BSA cycles
They defined our childhood. But did you know that BSA cycles was a British company? Hint: BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms.
16. Pav
We love pav bhaji but did you know that the dish is half firangi? Because pav has Portuguese origins.
17. Bata
Over the years, Bata has been synonymous with premium quality footwear in the country. However, the brand is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
18. Tomatoes
Today, it’s very difficult to imagine any Indian dish without tomatoes and we have South America to thank for it cause that’s where it originated.
19. Chai
We know, evenings without chai seem empty AF. And we have China to thank for this gift for that’s where chai had originated.
20. Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
Turns out that the only thing Indian about this firm is the name ‘Hindustan’ because it’s owned by an Anglo-Dutch company called Unilever which owns a 67% controlling share in it.
21. Maggi
India’s favourite brand of 2-minute noodles are owned by Nestle which happens to be a Swiss company.
22. Big Babol
The chewing gum that taught us how to blow the biggest bubbles ever happens to be owned by Perfetti Van Melle, an Italian company.
23. Gudang Garam cigarettes
Even if you don’t smoke, you might’ve still heard of Gudang Garam cigarettes. And surprisingly, the brand isn’t Indian. It’s in fact, a product of Indonesia.
24. Rajma chawal
One of the most famous and loved meals in India, unfortunately, doesn’t belong to our country. While rajma came to India from Central Mexico and Guatemala, rice was first domesticated in China.
25. Filter coffee
Strong, frothy and foreign are perhaps three words that best describe filter coffee. Yes, foreign too. Because coffee was introduced to us by a Muslim saint named Baba Budan from Yemen.
Surprising, isn’t it?
